Summertime is usually a quiet time for smartphone releases. Most manufacturers wait until fall or until the holiday season rolls around. Strategically speaking, waiting for “back to school” season and the holiday season is a wise move. After all, consumers tend to spend more money during these months than any others.

But this summer has been a bit different than all the rest. Smartphones keep hitting store shelves at a, somewhat, alarming rate. Attempting to cash in on the latest smartphone craze or to (let’s face it) beat Apple’s innovation, manufacturers have created a slew of smartphones just for the summer season. If you’re in the market for a smartphone, you’ll want to check out some of the latest offerings.

LG Thrill 4G

First came 3D movies. Then, a number of disappointing 3D televisions. Now, LG has created a 3D smartphone. The LG Thrill 4G has a 3D display that does not require any glasses. Not only is the LG Thrill 3D capable, but it also comes with two 5-megapixel cameras (one for video and one for photos). There are some rumors that a number of 3D Android apps will also be available within the near future. If you’re into all things 3D, the LG Thrill 4G may be the phone for you.

Motorola Photon 4G

What happens when Motorola and Sprint combine? Wait, haven’t they combined before? This time around, Motorola and Sprint may have come up with a winning combination: the Motorola Photon 4G. The Photon 4G is Gingerbread-based, and comes with Nvidia’s Dual-Core processor. This phone is also rumored to come with a number of accessory options including a kickstand. If you like touchscreen phones, the Photon 4G is something that you should take the time to look at.

HP Pre 3

HP has entered the smartphone market before. Unfortunately, the manufacturer’s earlier contenders were no match for other smartphone greats. Now, HP offers up the HP Pre 3. The Pre 3 comes with a QWERTY keyboard (for those who are sick of touchscreens), a 1.4GHz processor, and a 5-megapixel camera. At the time of this writing, the HP Pre 3 was not widely available. Although HP did release the phone sometime this past February, it’s been somewhat hard to find. However, HP has assured the general public that the new smartphone will be available this summer.

The iPhone 5

Ok, the iPhone 5 isn’t actually available yet, and it may not hit markets until September or October. But, it’s worth mentioning that you may want to hold out for the iPhone 5. Apple promises to deliver nothing short of a miracle with the iPhone 5’s release.

Perhaps that’s why there are so many rumors surrounding the release of the latest Apple innovation. Some say that the iPhone 5 will have a better camera. Others say that the iPhone 5 will be a completely different phone from anything else that Apple has ever created.

Who knows what Apple will produce? Still, you may want to wait a few more months for the shiny new iPhone 5 to show its face. Then, you can compare this new wonder with the other phones included in this list.